Photographer's Note

When I looked at Craig's photos from Peru, and specially from Cusco, I felt such softness in my heart. So I scanned here one of my prints to check what is the quality after 14 years.
The trip to Peru was my first "big" trip, first over the ocean. I prepared for it long time. First I couldn't find the people wanting to go with me. Everybody was scared! Finally I put an advertisement in the newspaper and two women wanted to join me and my friend. When I think how risky it was from the both sides. They didn't know me at all and in a few minutes decided to go a month later. And for me also was a risk. One of them was over seventy years old, and one never knows how it would be in high altitudes. Craig and Tosca, young people, had problems. What would I do if something happened? Besides, I was not so sure of my Spanish. You can't imagine how scared I was when we landed in Lima and I was responsible for four of us. There were no cell phones yet, and I didn't do anything in Internet. But everything went so well. People helped us so much and I managed to realize my plan that seemed impossible. I was on many wonderful trips after that but no excursion ever can beat this first one. It is why I am so emotional about Peru.

Here is the view on the way to Pisac. It is a village and ruins near Cusco. The place is not so known as Machu Picchu, smaller but also spectacular and much less turisty. In the small town there is an amazing market, specially on Sunday. I love markets and I planned my schedule so that I am in the right day. What photo opportunities were there! Note the spinning something in the hands of the woman. It was very common view.
Sorry for the poor quality.

Hi Malgo,a great memory of your trip in Peru inspired by Craig! Fantastic view whit the mother as the cherry on the cake,and great quality too,seems a digital pic taken yesterday.I hope to be there one day,but there isn't the sea....ehehe...have a nice Sunday and thanks,Luciano

Hello Malgo,the quality of the image may not be the very best but it more than made up for by the most stunning of scenes with the Mother and child in their colourful dress perfectly positioned in a very dramatic landscape.
A beautiful capture,it`s easy to see the attraction of Peru thanks to your most revealing note and this very fine photograph.
Best wishes Les.

hi malgo,
wow! reading your note made me feel emotional again :)
without internet, finding three people, one of them over seventy years! no cell phones, and taking care of them at the other side of the ocean, and in a country where you don't speak the language! i am really envious of your courage and will. and it was your first big trip... well, what can i say. despite being my 20th country visited, it was morocco that i had the biggest adventure, but there i was on my own and i had cell phone plus internet...
anyway, your scanned photo from 1999 is great. september means spring time over there, the weather looks like autumn but still ok. the clothing of the girl is so sweet and her pose with the infant on her back is lovely. maybe she was selling somethings to the tourists? i never heard of pisac before, but if it is the place seen further behind on the left, it could be similar to machu picchu.
deniz

Hello Malgo,
What a wonderful story to accompany this fine image that has definitely withstood the test of time. Very well composed with good colours and sharpness. It must bring back many happy memories.

Hello Malgo,
I visited Pisac in the summer of 2001 and it was touristy! In that time the only not touristy place around Cusco and the entire Valle Sagrado was Maras with its salts pans. I only met two other travelers there. Perhaps the number of travelers was big because of the European summer holidays ...
But I did enjoy my trip very much and considered it yet also a bit like an adventure.
I think I recognize this view. I took a bus (or a taxi, I don't remember) to a place much higher in the mountains than Pisac and walked down following a small track. On the way to the village I passed the archaeological site we see left on your picture here. (At least I think it are these ruins).
The picture here shows several characteristics of an Andean Travel: local people in their wonderful, colourful clothing, the majestic mountains, the paths winding their way around the slopes, the terraces and the remains of the ancient Inca constructions.
Upon seeing this picture I get some nostalgia for my former journey :)
Best regards, Paul

Hello Malgo,
You really don't have to be so modest about the quality of this picture. After all, it's a scan. It's hard to get them absolutely pefect unless you have very expensive professional equipment. But look at the colours of the woman's dress. The're clear and correct, the green of the hillside, the yellow of the fields are absolutely natural. The sharpness is good as well. Only the sky has some minor problems, but it looks like the skies I usually get in my scans. Even with my simple digital camera the sky often looks like that if the weather wasn't so good.
It's interesting to hear about your memories of Peru and how you arranged the journey. I have never hesitated to go anywhere, but I guess it's a bit easier for men. It's only in the most recent years that I have got fed up with journeys that will involve a lot of physical hardship.
Regards,
Gert

Malgo, this is a wonderful photo. At first i thought that the woman was a girl but then I looked more closely and realized she looks smallish because of the POV.I love the costume and the expressions of both the mother and child.Magical landscape. What wonderful memories you must have. Pozdrav. Klaudio.

Hi Malgo
can understand how you feel about this place and this amazing image. This has to leave an impression upon you and I can also understand your trepidation at making the journey, but hey this shot makes it all worthwhile. Another world, another life and our amazing and varied planet. Superb!

hello Malgo,
Amazing story. One day wish to visit Peru as well.
The woman looks so tiny. I guess she is a petite lady. Love the details og her dress, colorful and elegant.
Thank you for sharing your memories
regards
bb

Witaj Malgo
Your story shows the true spirit of the adventurer and traveller you are, this is a great story of the pre cell phone and internet time when travel to far away places like Peru where still a real adventure.
The quality of the scan is amazing (my attempts at scanning my old pictures never seem to be that successful) and it shows your great capabilities as a photographer with a wonderful composition of this colorful clad local lady and her baby on the steep slopes of the Andes.
In my opinion the true photographer is revealed in the quality of his pre digital work and yours is outstanding here.
have a good sunday
Daniel

Hi Malgo,
This is a perfect picture and a very beautiful landscape. A very well composed scene with a long diagonal line that separates the blue-green background from the yellow foreground. The woman and her baby add both colours and interest with her folkloric dress. An excellent capture!
Kind regards
Gunnar

Gosh, what a fascinating note you have written - and so emotive too! You were really lucky that your first really big trip overseas was so successful - someone up in Heaven must have been looking after you all!

But make no apology for this picture - I think it's of excellent quality considering that it has been scanned from a print.

Your composition is excellent, the lady with her child perfectly placed in the frame and with a wonderful distant view of the mountainsides and also the terraces in the deep valley below.

The lady and her child are beautifully and colourfully dressed and it's interesting to see that she spins her wool as she walks along! I suppose these people have to walk and climb so much in their lives that it must be convenient to do something else while walking!

A lovely photograph which really must bring back some lovely memories for you!

Hello dear Malgo,
Wonderfull archival and documentary entry. 14 years old but still by far better than many other entries here !
A perfect TE entry enriched with many interesting notes.
TFS and have a nic week
MESUT ILGIM

I have not been to Peru, but I love to see shots like this, of people living on the mountains so casually, these immense drops behind them and the incredible terraced evidence of the Incan civilization and their modern descendants. This woman is a delight, with her beautiful clothing and short mountain stature, child looking curiously from her back. Nicely shot!

What a sweet scene. I love the colours of the lady and her baby's clothes, aswell as the breath-taking landscape of the mountains beyond. The sky was not helping you, but knowing that this is a scan, does not surprise me, as it is always difficult to get the sky right in a scan. A beautiful and emotional shot.

Me too, I have a really fond memories of Peru. I wish I have a digital camera, but back there only film and scan is not the same. Anyway, a great shot and very nostalgic for you and me. Lovely young mother, almost too young.

Hi Malgo
lucky lucky you!!
its hard to believe but tosca and I didn't really get any photo's like yours here.
the situation just didn't present itself i guess, and we were both sick...so maybe our photographic eyes and ears were not at 100% strenght :)

this is a great cultural photo from 1999, and their dress is still the same today.
I really enjoy this one.
just think...that baby is now about 14 or 15 years old!
nice shot
cheers
craig